Security Levels

Careers

Professional Life

Performances

The Coast Guard Band is the only full time performing organization in the United States Coast Guard and performs in a wide variety of venues and for various functions around the country. Military ceremonial performances include high profile functions for the President, Secretary of DHS, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and other dignitaries and military personnel around the country. In addition to frequent concert band performances at the Coast Guard Academy, the band performs concerts around Southeast New England and does two national concert tours per year, each being approximately two weeks long. The Coast Guard Band has also traveled internationally including the first concert tour of a Premier U.S. Military Band in Japan in 2008 and the first performance by a U.S. Military Band in the former Soviet Union in 1989. The Coast Guard Band also has an extensive chamber recital series that performs throughout Connecticut and has also given performances at the Midwest Conference in Chicago and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Daily Schedule

Because of the variety of performance requirements for the Band, the work schedule can change frequently. The Band often performs on weekends and compensatory days are given off during the week where performance and rehearsal schedules allow. The Coast Guard Band is a self-supported organization meaning that members of the band perform a variety of non-musical duties to ensure the smooth day-to-day functioning of the organization. These collateral duties typically make up about 20% of the average work week. Most new members are assigned to the stage or load crew and assist with the loading of equipment of the setting up of chairs and stands before and after performances. Other collateral duties within the band include: Music Library, Public Affairs, Operations, Administration, Education Outreach, Finance and Supply, and Recruiting. As a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Band, your primary duty is as a working musician for the United States Government. While the schedule is often flexible enough to do other performance engagements and many members of the band perform in local orchestras such as The Hartford Symphony and Rhode Island Philharmonic, duties with the Coast Guard Band always take precedence.